My Special Nursing Moment 2015 Winner!

Year two of Soliant’s My Special Nursing Moment Contest is in the books! What an honor it is to hear heartwarming stories about care from the ultimate caregivers themselves: nurses! This year, we were especially moved by the more than thirty moments we received, each bringing us to that point in time, where a special bond was made, where special words were spoken, or where a special silence was shared between nurse and patient.

Congratulations to Kim Stafford, RN for her winning Special Moment of 2015. Read it below:

“When I worked as an ADON in long term care, I made some great friends — not just my co-workers but my residents and their families. One particular woman who made my day every day with her smile and her perfectly coordinated outfits was such a friend. She knew all about the comings and goings of the facility, asked about your children, and loved them to come visit. She was a sweet soul with a ton of spunk at her age of over 90. She walked the halls every day and always said hello to everyone. One particularly sad day, she suddenly fell ill. And when I say suddenly, I mean RAPIDLY. We later came to figure out she had an abdominal aortic aneurysm that dissected. I was called to the unit to assess her and knew right away her time was short. I had helped her complete her advanced directive some months before so I knew that if this happened, she didn’t want to go to a hospital and wanted to remain in her room with comfort measures. When I entered the room all she could say was ‘Kim. Sick. Dying. Don’t go.’ And I honored that wish. We were able to get emergency orders for meds for comfort and I never left her side. I held her in my lap while she left us, and I know that I provided her with exactly what we discussed those months ago. She left us with dignity without pain and with the comfort of her nurse, her friend with her the whole way. After she was gone we all cried for a long, long time. She left a big void when she passed, but she always taught us, “Chin up buttercup, it always gets better,” and it did. But I think to this point in my career despite the patients I have successfully coded, the lives I have helped save in the ER since then, I still call this day and this experience my best day as a nurse.”

Thank you, nurses, for sharing your special moments with us. It may only take a few words to express your passions, but what you shared with us spoke volumes of why you chose this path. We are so glad you did!